The Circle Channel 4: What is The Circle and when is it on? All the details on new show described as it's compared to Big Brother

THE Circle is a brand new reality show that's started on Channel 4.

The Circle is an "ambitious" new series, where contestants compete against each other to become the most popular.

The show sees its line-up of participants all live separately in a modern block of apartments, only interacting with each other through a voice-activated social media platform, called The Circle, with the most popular contestant winning £50,000 at the end of the series.

The Circle is voice activated, so it looks to viewers like the players are talking to each other, and all the players can see of their competitors is the information they choose to share.

The wrong choice of profile picture could see them judged unfavourably which is every player's nightmare in this exciting new online popularity contest.

The Circle: The contestants can be whatever, or whoever, they want in an attempt to win [Channel 4]

Knowing nothing about each other – apart from the images and information that they each choose to upload – The Circle enables players to chat, make friends, break friends, compete against each other in physical and mental challenges, flirt and maybe even fall in love.

Across the series the players will rate each other with the least popular players in The Circle at risk of being "blocked" from the game and only when a player leaves will they be given the opportunity to finally find out who they have been interacting with.

When anyone can be anyone, this is the ultimate unmasking moment. How will each member of The Circle play the game and stay popular and will the other players believe their hype?

When is The Circle on?

The Circle: The show continues nightly at Channel 4 [Channel 4]

The Circle began on Tuesday 18 September at 9.15pm.

It now continues weeknights at 10pm.

Who is hosting The Circle?

The Circle: Maya Jama has been confirmed as host of the new series [Channel 4]

Maya Jama and Alice Levine have been confirmed as hosts of The Circle.

Speaking about the show, Alice revealed: "The Circle feels timely and exciting, like a conversation that's happening right now anyway. It's about the judgments we make, about identity and the versions of ourselves we put forward.

"A lot of reality shows aren't asking those questions, which is why this one appeals to me where perhaps others haven't. It'll be fascinating to see how people curate their lives."

The Circle: Alice Levine will present alongside the star [Channel 4]

Meanwhile Maya added: "I'm a social media and reality TV addict, so combining the two is pretty much my dream outcome. It's a fascinating social experiment. We're all on some kind of social media – you tend to be the odd one out if you're not – so it'll be interesting to see how it plays out. When the players are on a mission to become popular, will they be their real selves or a fake version?"